


Unrequited Love's Got Nothing on a Strong Friendship and a Dozen Heartbreakingly Sad Country Songs

by thek9kid



Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV 2020)
Genre: Family, Friendship, Team as Family, Unrequited Crush, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-23
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-13 06:22:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29647110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thek9kid/pseuds/thek9kid
Summary: Reggie took a leap of faith and he fell, but his friends, Luke, Alex, Bobby, new friends and family, and of course, Julie, are there to catch him and help him back to his feet.ORReggie confessed his feelings to Luke, but Luke didn’t feel the same, would this be the end of their friendship? Of course not, not if Reggie and Luke have anything to do about it.
Relationships: Alex Mercer & Julie Molina & Luke Patterson & Reggie Peters, Bobby | Trevor Wilson & Alex Mercer & Luke Patterson & Reggie Peters, Luke Patterson & Reggie Peters (Julie and The Phantoms)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 17





	Unrequited Love's Got Nothing on a Strong Friendship and a Dozen Heartbreakingly Sad Country Songs

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Hi! So I’m in love with this series and Reggie is one of my favorite characters. I’m all for a beautiful romance between two characters who didn’t think the other liked them. But sometimes you have feelings for someone and they don’t feel the same. It’s no one’s fault but that doesn’t take the pain of rejection away. Anyway, Enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing, except the plot and my OCs.

Today was the day, the day he told Luke his feelings for him. Reggie couldn’t pinpoint exactly when he started falling in love with his best friend. Maybe it was the night Luke held him all night after a really bad fight his parents had. When he was so sure they were getting divorced and he’d have to pick sides. Or the way Luke’s eyes lit up when they sang into the same microphone. Maybe it was because they had been friends for ten years, or that he knew everything about Luke and he knew everything about him. They had no secrets between each other, not until now at least. 

Reggie talked to Alex and Bobby a few days ago, after school, in Bobby’s car as he drove them to meet Luke at the movies. He asked what he should do? If they thought Luke felt the same? He knew Luke was bisexual like him, they had come out to each other years ago before Reggie started having feelings for him. 

Alex encouraged him, saying, “I’m not sure if Luke will like you in the same way, but you are so close as friends. If Luke does like you, he’d throw himself into it body and soul, just like his music. And if he doesn’t, your friendship is strong enough to get through it.” 

Despite all of Alex’s anxiety and his fear of change, he was a generally positive person. He hoped for the best outcome of a situation. When he came out to his parents he hoped it would go well in spite of all the evidence to the contrary simply because he was their son and they loved him. He was wrong. For a while, Reggie couldn’t understand why Alex could still look on the positive side. Alex explained that he had three great friends who loved him like family, that was all he needed. He didn’t need parents who couldn’t accept him for who he was.

Bobby was less optimistic and told Reggie, “Luke might not feel the same. He’s very affectionate with all his friends. Be careful, I don’t want you to get hurt, Reggie.” 

Bobby himself had been through a lot of heartbreak. So much so that he stopped dating recently, saying he wanted to focus on the band and school. Reggie wasn’t sure how long it would last; Bobby was too much of a romantic to stay single for long.

He took their advice to heart, hoping for the best, but staying prepared if Luke didn’t have feelings for him.

Luke was always early for band practice and the last to leave. Reggie decided to wait until after in case things went badly, so he wouldn’t ruin rehearsal. He waited until after Alex packed up and Bobby went back into his house. 

Luke was sitting on the couch scribbling down lyrics that must have just popped into his head. Reggie took a deep breath and sat next to him, his leg bouncing up and down rapidly as he tore off the label on his water bottle.

“Reg? What’s up?” Luke asked, frowning slightly at the tiny pieces of paper falling to the floor. Reggie put the bottle down and clasped his hands together, forcing his leg still.

“I need to talk to you,” he said, avoiding eye contact.

“Yeah man, you know you can tell me anything,” Luke said, putting his journal down, casually wrapping his arm around his best friend. Reggie smiled at the familiar weight and chanced a look at him, Luke smiled and waited.

“I’m not really sure when this started but I’ve been feeling differently,” he paused for a moment to collect his thoughts.

“Are you ok? Did something happen? Are you sick?” Luke asked. Instead of pulling away, as people would think you should do when someone near you is sick, he scooted closer. Luke turned to face him fully and felt his forehead. 

“No, I’m fine. Well, I’m not, but I’m not sick. Healthy as a horse!” he laughed, even he could tell the sound was hollow, but Luke didn’t return the gesture.

“Reggie…” he trailed off and grabbed his hand. 

“I like you Luke, more than a friend. I don’t know if you feel the same, but I’ve been feeling this way for a long time. It just started to feel like keeping a secret and we don’t have secrets. I just need to know if there’s any chance you feel the same way?” he said in a rush, he couldn’t bring himself to look at Luke, Luke’s hand felt frozen tight against his. As the silence stretched on he had to look up and the expression on his friend’s face broke his heart. Luke wasn’t smiling. He wasn’t looking at Reggie either, he was looking down at their hands.

“Luke?”

“Reggie, I- I’m sorry…” he said, finally looking at him, there were tears in his eyes.

“Oh. Ok. I- um, no that’s fine. Totally cool. It was dumb anyway, I should go,” he rambled and tried to pull his hand away. 

But Luke wouldn’t let him and pulled him into a hug. “Hey, you can’t control how you feel. It wasn’t dumb. I won’t let this ruin our friendship, ok? I don’t like you the way you like me, but I still love you. You’re my best friend; I don’t want to lose you!” he cried into his shoulder. Reggie wrapped his arms around Luke. Luke held him closer, his hands hot on Reggie’s shoulder and side, Reggie felt his heart breaking.

“I don’t want to lose you either!” he said, but it felt inevitable, how could things be the same now?

“Luke. Hey, I need- I have to go,” Reggie said, gently pulling himself out of the hug. Luke reluctantly let him go. They stood up together and Luke handed him his backpack as he picked up his bass case. He started walking away but turned around at the exit to the garage. “I’ll see you tomorrow?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Luke whispered. He cleared his throat, “you’re still my best friend, Reg.”

“You’re my best friend too,” he tried to smile but it just felt too forced. He turned and walked down the driveway, letting his tears finally fall. 

~

Things didn’t go back to normal, not for a long time. Reggie went home, thankful his parents weren’t there. He didn’t think he could handle the shouting right now. He cried into his pillow for an hour before his older sister Lisa came in to see what was wrong.

“Reggie? What happened?” she asked, he told her. She was pretty cool about the whole thing. Lisa was the only family member who knew he was Bi. His parents would not react well, even if they stopped yelling at each other long enough to listen, so he didn’t try. Lisa was cool, she wasn’t popular, more of a theater geek, and spent most of her time running lines in the auditorium. She had a lot of friends though and kept an open mind about people and the world. Reggie knew he could trust her, she always had his back no matter what. Lisa was almost 18 and counting the days to graduation so she could leave their parents for good. Although Reggie would miss her, and home would be a lot worse without her, he wanted her to get out of the house just as much as she did. 

Lisa and Reggie ate their way through five pints of Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia Ice Cream and watched reruns of the Golden Girls. It was the only show they could actually agree on. Sophia was his spirit animal.

That night his parents fought into the wee hours of the morning keeping him up. He tuned them out the best he could and tried to sleep but it was impossible. Eventually, he gave up and threw on his headphones, blasting Guns N’ Roses on his walkman. The tears came again but he didn’t dare try to go to his sister’s room and get caught in his parents’ crossfire.

He had to get these emotions out somehow. He climbed out of his bed and rummaged in his bag for his mostly empty history notebook, and began to scribble down his feelings. He didn’t stop until he ran out of paper. It was a mess, half of it was illegible, and most of it was rambling about how much Luke meant to him, and how his heart felt like it was on fire and frozen solid at the same time. He could pick out lines here and there that would make for interesting lyrics when his mind was clearer. As the Guns N’ Roses tape came to an end he heard the door slam and dad’s car start up. He took his headphones off and the house was silent. He took a breath and wiped at his tears with his red flannel shirt. Putting the notebook on his nightstand he climbed into bed and tried to sleep one more time before school in three hours.

~

He told Alex and Bobby at school the next day, eyes red from lack of sleep and crying. Alex hugged him, “Are you ok?” he asked.

“No. I just need time. I guess,” Reggie shrugged.

“I’m sorry it went down like that bro,” Bobby said, rubbing his shoulders.

“It’s fine, really. We’re still friends, still a band. I’ll get over it,” Reggie said, how the hell he was going to do that was beyond him. 

Seeing Luke in his second-period math class turned the butterflies that used to dance in his stomach into heavy lead anvils. His heart threatened to break all over again. He shoved all that aside and smiled at his best friend.

For the next week, everything and nothing was different.

Reggie’s heart hurt every time he was in the same room as Luke. There was no denying that, but he couldn’t walk away from him, couldn’t stop being friends with him. Even if he wanted to he didn’t think he would last long, but they still hung out and talked every day. Reggie still spent nights in Luke’s room when the yelling at home got too bad. They still played together at band practice and at gigs, except now the two never sung into the same microphone inches in front of each other’s faces. That was something he could not handle and told Luke that right off the bat. He was very understanding but looked a little sad.

He didn’t want to stop seeing Luke altogether, but he was exhausted, weary down to his bones, and his heart felt like it was constantly being stabbed. It was nothing Luke was doing except being right next to him. 

Something had to change. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could keep this up.

He talked to his sister again, who suggested he talk to Luke again. He needed to set boundaries, so they could stay friends but protect himself.

After school a few days later as they were walking to Luke’s house, Reggie finally got the courage to talk to him. He was a little nervous but Luke understood. They went their separate ways that day. Luke going to some family thing he couldn’t get out of and Reggie went to Alex’s and helped him help his sister, Debbie, practice for her audition for the middle school musical. Reggie dredged up all the theater stuff his sister went on and on about when the mood struck her to give the munchkin some advice. They provided the musical backdrop to her song, dance, and dramatic monologue. Reggie made a mental note to ask Lisa to talk to Debbie before the audition, as he was pretty sure he misremembered some things. 

Luke and Reggie started hanging out less, and since they only had two classes together, talked less at school. Reggie spent more time with Alex and Bobby. He had sleepovers with Alex watching Ghost Busters and Star Wars when his parents were both out of town and Lisa out with friends. They talked through the movies since they’d seen them a million times. He learned that although Alex’s parents were still basically ignoring him all the time, his little brothers had come around and stopped following their parents’ lead. The 9-year-old twins, Harry and Parker, still loved their older brother just as much as they did before, they just needed some time and a kick in the ass from their big sister Debbie, who when Alex told her just hugged him, told him she loved him and asked him which movie he wanted to watch for their movie night. 

He spent more time talking to Bobby about his favorite country music artists, as he was the only band member even slightly interested in country. He also joined in on Bobby’s family game night when he invited him, it was fun, but it also reminded him of his less than perfect home life. Bobby told him about this pretty, down to earth girl named Micha in his science class who kept correcting Mr. Mariner when he wrote out the equations wrong on the board. He wouldn’t say it, but Reggie knew Bobby liked her, more than as a friend. Bobby really didn’t want to get his heart broken again though. 

Reggie felt a little guilty that he hadn’t been spending as much time with his other two best friends, they were important to him too. So he made an effort to listen and be there for them more.

He also tried to make new friends. He talked to a couple of ninth graders in his music appreciation class, the only music class offered at school, who loved rock and roll. Bethany, a very shy short girl who really only opened up once you put some effort into getting to know her, introduced him to a cool new fantasy Book series called The Dragon Legends. He listened to them on tape from the library as he wasn’t a big reader, but Bethany made the series sound so cool he had to check it out. It was so awesome, he finished the four-book series in two months. The band also played at her book club, they gained about ten new fans and five pounds each from the amazing snacks there. 

Bethany’s best friend Trista, who was very loud and disruptive in class but had her contemplative moments, invited him to join their weekend rollerblade hockey game after he told her he could skate and lent him a stick and pads. He wasn’t the best player, but he had a lot of fun. Bethany turned into a beast on wheels much to Reggie’s surprise. Everyone was friendly and he knew a lot of them already from school so it wasn’t uncomfortable. The three of them hung out together after school sometimes and he’d show them his favorite albums as well as play a few of Sunset Curve’s songs. 

He started focusing a bit more on classes after another argument his parents had about his grades which had never been very high. Since none of his bandmates were very good students and his new two friends were younger than him he asked the smartest kid in his history class, Devon, to tutor him a few times a month. At first, he was kinda distant and probably assumed he was just another kid worried about grades, but once he knew Reggie was into both rock and country music like him they bonded over listening to their tapes while studying. After Reggie got a B on a history test Devon literally did a victory dance in the hall and taped the test to the inside of his locker with pride. 

Reggie also accidentally joined a witchcraft club disguised as a knitting club. While he did learn how to knit a scarf, which he gave to Lisa for Christmas, he also accidentally participated in a weird ritual that made him uncomfortable. So he quit, but he stayed strictly knitting friends with a few people.

Of course, he still spent time with Luke. He could never cut him completely out of his life. It would feel like losing both his legs to lose Luke. Just instead of spending all their time together, they chose a couple of days a week they would spend together along with band rehearsals and gigs. Luke tried to teach him how to skateboard again and failed miserably. Rollerblading and skateboarding were not interchangeable skills as it turned out. They had a few sleepovers and they watched Star Wars and Days of our Lives, a soap opera Luke’s mom got them hooked on. Except now instead of sleeping in Luke’s room he stayed out on the couch. They still played music and wrote songs together, and goofed off in the two classes they shared.

They actually talked a lot more now when they spent time together. He learned things about Luke he never knew before and he told him things he never had the courage to either. They talked about the future, both with Sunset Curve, and as individuals, he learned Luke didn’t want kids, but he did want someone to spend his life with, to travel the world, and play music with him. Reggie told him that outside of Sunset Curve, his friends, and music he had no clue what he wanted, sometimes his life just stretched out in front of him and he had no clue what it looked like. Luke told him that whatever it was they’d face it together. 

It was better, but sometimes he still felt like his heart was crumbling into pieces. The only thing that made him feel better was getting the feelings out into words, lyrics. He transferred the coherent lines from his old history notebook from that first night to a new songwriting journal. He poured out his thoughts and feelings into that journal. Over three months he wrote about a dozen truly heartbreakingly sad country songs. He didn’t share these ones with Luke. He didn’t want to hurt him. So he worked on them at home when everyone was gone or with Alex and Bobby.

When he played “I Wish I was Over You” one time when his mom was just coming home she came in and asked, “Oh god! Sweetie, who hurt you?” He didn’t tell her much, just that someone he liked didn’t like him back and he needed to get it out. She didn’t ask for details, just hugged him and asked him to play it again. He did, and his mom told him if he ever needed to talk she would be there. He nodded but he knew she didn’t really mean it, that soon enough she’ll be too busy yelling at dad or working.

It took time, about a year, before it stopped hurting completely to look and be close to Luke, but it did. They were closer for it actually. The romantic feelings he had for Luke simmered down to very close friendship feelings again and they were able to be themselves again and not hold back anymore. 

Luke’s still careful though to never tease Reggie about his past feelings or do anything to purposely confuse him. Reggie didn’t feel uncomfortable anymore singing with Luke an inch in front of his face as long as he knew before it happened.

He’s glad things happened the way they did, otherwise he probably never would have talked to Bethany, Triska, Devon, or the kids from Witch-knitting craft. They were all pretty good friends now. He wouldn’t be as close to Alex and Bobby or his sister. And he would not have a nearly complete, albeit very sad, album of country songs.

He brought the music to the garage the night before their Orpheum performance and put his journal up in the loft, planning on working on a few things with Bobby and Alex later. Maybe he would share some of the more hopeful less depressed ones with Luke.

Except he never got the chance. Evil Tainted Hot Dogs killed them and sent them to the future. Where in the chaos of being a ghost, then in a ghost band with Julie, and then almost ceasing to exist he completely forgot about the journal. Until Julie decided to go on a cleaning spree. 

Since some of the stuff was theirs they were all going through the stuff. There was a lot more than one would think. The closet, loft, and numerous drawers hid a lot of stuff. They kept and organized most of it, the boys didn’t have much to begin with and were reluctant to part with anything. They did throw out a few ratty and ruined things. 

“Hey, Reggie!” Julie called from the loft as he folded a pile of freshly laundered clothes to put in an old dresser of Ray’s. Julie thought it was unacceptable that they were still living out of garbage bags. He still wasn’t sure why their clothes disappeared to people once they were wearing them. Wouldn’t it make more sense if people saw the clothes, just floating in midair?

“Huh?” he said, shaking the idle thoughts from his head.

“Are these yours?” she asked as she carefully climbed down the ladder, a couple of notebooks in her arms. She handed them to him and he couldn’t help the sad smile that formed on his face. “They sound like country songs so I didn’t think they were Luke’s,” she said sitting next to him as he opened to the first page, the first song he wrote after Luke rejected him, “Terrified of Losing You.”

Julie motioned to the notebook. “May I?”

He nodded and she leaned forward, reading over his shoulder. After a moment and a few page turns she looked up at him.

“This is... really sad. I mean the tone and the emotions! It’s really good writing,” Julie fumbled to correct herself.

“Yeah, thanks. I knew what you meant,” he said, flipping idly through the rest of the pages.

“Can I ask who it’s about?” 

Reggie paused for a moment.

“You don’t have to. It’s ok. I-”

“No, Jules. It’s alright, I just- There’re really personal,” he looked at her and she had the kindest most understanding look on her face. “They’re about Luke, well most of them. There’s a few just about horses and family in here somewhere.”

“Luke?” she said and looked over at the boy in question who was ‘helping’ Alex organize their cd, cassette, and record collection that was a complete mess. But mostly he was just reminiscing about the memorable times he heard the music.

“About a year before we died, I had some major feelings for Luke.” He looked at her but she didn’t look weirded out or anything. “He didn’t feel the same way,” he shrugged, a tiny wave of old hurt crashing into him.

“Reggie-” Julie started.

“It was a long time ago, and we worked through everything when we were alive. So you have nothing to worry about. I’m not really the jealous type anyway,” Reggie interrupted with a small smile.

“Hey, that’s not what I’m worried about. I know how it feels to be rejected,” he looked at her and raised an eyebrow. “There were a couple of kids in middle school I had crushes on, but they didn’t like me,” Reggie put an arm around her shoulders and gave her a half hug, Julie smiled up at him. “Are you ok, Reggie? If you ever need to talk, I’m here.”

Unlike when his mom said it he believed her, but now it wasn’t necessary. “Thanks, Jules, but I’m ok. I worked through my feelings,” he raised the notebook. “Luke and I, we spent a lot of time working through this so we could still be best friends. So I’m good. Luke and I are good.” 

“I’m glad, but still if anything comes up, I’m here. Or if you wanna work on some of these,” she tapped the notebook, “I am so there.” She smiled and patted his leg before standing up.

“Thanks, Julie,” he said, standing and hugging her.

“Do I see hugging?” Luke shouted, making both of them giggle. “Are we taking a hug break?” he teased, jumping between stuff piles to pull both of them to his chest. “Alex! we’re taking a hug break!” he shouted again.

“I can see that,” he said, but hopped over to them and joined the band hug. When they let go, Luke spotted Reggie’s country journal.

“Any good ones in there?” he teased.

“I’ll have you know they’re all masterpieces,” Reggie smiled. “I was writing a lot the year before we died.” He looked down avoiding Luke’s eyes, and Luke, realizing what that meant, lost the teasing look on his face. Alex reading the room, quickly ushered Julie away to help decide between alphabetical by artist and Luke’s levels of rock awesomeness for the music organization system.

“You were writing then?” he asked softly, pulling Reggie onto the couch with him.

“Yeah, I was going to show some to you but then we died, so. And they’re, well-” he cut himself off. “I was a little nervous,”

“Too personal?” Luke guessed.

“Yeah, I mean this is how I worked through a lot of my feelings and I didn’t want to make you feel bad or anything so-”

“No, dude it’s cool. I get it. It’s your music. You can share it with whoever you want, or not share it. I just, I didn’t realize back then and I should have. I tried to give you space and time and still be there for you. I knew you would be hurt and there was nothing I could really do for you but wait-”

“Hey, Luke It’s ok, this is all history for me. It’ll always be there but it doesn’t hurt anymore. You’re my best friend, and I want to share my music with you, maybe not everything but there’s a couple of songs I really want you to hear and your opinion on. I know country isn’t really your thing but-” 

“I owe the country genre a lot actually.” Reggie furrowed his brow thoroughly confused. “It helped you,” he said breaking away from the intense eye contact for a second.

“Aww, you’re so sweet Luke,” Reggie teased, breaking the little spell and Luke shoved him, laughing.

“But seriously I’d love to hear your songs, whatever you want to show me.” Luke smiled. 

“Ok,” Reggie said, his fears washing away.

“Oh my god! Reggie is this yours!?” she called. The two guys went out to see Julie holding a very old Yoda figurine with two fingers by the cape. Her expression one of pure disgust. It was all chewed up. And there was some suspicious purple goop on it.

“No! Master Yoda! Who did this to you?!” he cried dramatically, cradling the little guy in his hands as he fell to his knees. Alex and Julie patted his back comfortingly, Luke crouched in front of him.

“I’m sure we can get you a new one,” Alex said.

“Yeah there’s like a million of them now with the new movies,” Julie added despite Luke and Alex desperately miming at her not to.

“It won’t be the same,” he shuddered at the thought of the new movies that killed Han Solo, how dare they.

“I know bud,” Luke said, tugging him to his feet. “C’mon I think we still have a bunch of old clothes to fold.” he guided the devastated Star Wars fan back into the room. 

Reggie never could have predicted his future. Bad hot dogs, death, some kind of time travel, an evil magician, Julie, her family, and his family, his real one was still all together forever. In a way, he was glad he didn’t have such concrete plans that would have been ruined. And the one dream he did have was still possible and even better now with Julie with them. His only late-night wish was to be with his friends forever, and now he is.

Luke will always be Reggie’s best friend, that’s enough, more than enough for Reggie. He just needed time and space and boundaries with Luke so they could stay best friends.

**Author's Note:**

> I wish, I desperately wish, I could write song lyrics and give ya’ll some heartbreakingly sad country songs, but alas, songwriting is not my forte.
> 
> Soooooo? What did you think? Let me know in a comment and don’t forget to leave a Kudos! 
> 
> K9KID OUT!
> 
> TTFN!


End file.
